“Make your own luck.” The saying is often thrown around in sports, as win streaks and dazzling plays are the result of skill, athleticism and attitude – mixed with a little bit of luck.

But at the heart of the saying is a personal resolve to take advantage of an opportunity that lands one’s way.

Exemplifying this is Chapman’s leadoff hitter, Joey Bernal, who transferred in January.

He hadn’t played baseball in three years, as he gave up the game after suiting up one season for Los Angeles Harbor College in 2011.

It wasn’t until a chance encounter with his former Harbor teammate and eventual Chapman star Andrew Carbajal did 23-year-old Bernal realize he still had the itch to play.

Fortunately for Chapman, he still had the tools, too.

“I saw that he was still competitive,” said Carbajal, now the volunteer assistant coach. “He could hit, he could run, he could throw. I figured he’d be a perfect fit to come in and take over a starting spot in the outfield.”

***

Baseball had always been a source of joy for Bernal. The Lakewood native started playing when he was five 5 in hopes of emulating his older brother.

Bernal loved that baseball was both a team game and an individual game. He became more serious about the sport by middle school and envisioned competing at the collegiate level.

“He definitely has a great love for baseball,” his wife, Veronica Bernal, said. “He gets really excited when he talks about it.”

That excitement, however, fizzled once he reached L.A. Harbor in 2011. After a solid freshman campaign, Bernal suffered a groin injury that kept him out of play for the 2012 season.

He grew more discouraged as each game passed.

“I was there, I went to all the games, but just sitting and watching is honestly one of the worst things ever,” Bernal said. “You want to be out there, but knowing you can’t play is draining.”

He quit the team in 2013. He said he did not fit well with the new coach and his friends from the team had graduated by that point.

Bernal opted to focus on school and work, landing a job working for his friend’s father’s company delivering books and magazines to grocery stores.

Baseball had vanished from his mind by 2014. But it would resurface every time a classmate would ask him: “What’s up? Why aren’t you playing?”

As much as he shrugged off the questions, each encounter stung.

“He would kind of see other guys that went to Harbor that were playing at different colleges, and it definitely kind of got to him,” Veronica said.

Bernal took a year and a half off of school after receiving his associates degree in liberal arts.

Deep down, he knew baseball was missing from his life.

“There was that feeling, you want to be out there,” Bernal said. “But I didn’t think I was going to be able to anymore. I honestly thought I was done.”

That’s when a little bit of luck struck. Bernal played for fun on a summer-league team, where he happened to be paired with former Harbor teammate Carbajal for a game.

Carbajal told him Chapman had graduated three key outfielders and was looking for replacements.

Bernal wondered if he still had the talent, but took a leap of faith and gave Chapman coach Scott Laverty a call.

“He was really excited about Chapman,” Veronica said. “Once he went on the tour and came back, he knew he was going to go there.”

***

First, Bernal would need to get into baseball shape. He had remained physically fit after leaving Harbor’s team, but baseball shape was quite another thing.

The first two weeks of practice were brutal after he suffered a hamstring injury.

“Running around non-stop and conditioning really took a toll on me,” said Bernal, who has sophomore standing. “I was so sore. It was pretty bad.”

Once he recovered, he assumed the leadoff spot for the Panthers (21-11 overall, 14-7 conference).

“He really blossomed. We were like, ‘Man, this guy’s got a chance to be really good – and he’s only a sophomore eligibility wise,’” coach Scott Laverty said at the beginning of the season. “I think he’s kind of hitting the tip of the iceberg of where he could go.”

For the first time in a while, Bernal is enjoying the game again.

“It’s a new beginning,” he said. “Not trying to be cliché or anything, but being able to be back, to be healthy, it’s a good feeling.”

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